Satisfactory Academic Progress

The academic performance of students enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown will be reviewed annually to determine whether or not they are making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), in compliance with federal student financial aid regulations. This review occurs during the month following the end of the spring term each year. All students who might be eligible to apply for federal financial aid will be reviewed and evaluated. This requirement applies to all continuing undergraduate degree seeking University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown students. Components of the SAP requirement include a measure of cumulative GPA, Total Attempted Credits and Pace of Completion.

Please note:

The PHEAA State Grant agency has its own separate academic requirements for students who receive the grant. For each academic year during which the student receives a State Grant, the student must successfully complete the minimum number of credits appropriate to the student’s enrollment status during the terms for which State Grant aid was received.

Students must pass at least 12 credits for every term that they receive a full time State Grant and at least 6 credits for every term they receive a part time State Grant.

Contact the Financial Aid Office or visit www.pheaa.org for more information.

GPA Requirement Students must achieve a 1.50 minimum cumulative GPA at the end of their first academic year to be considered to be meeting SAP standards. Students must achieve a 2.00 cumulative GPA at the end of their second and subsequent academic years to be considered to meet minimum SAP standards. GPA Calculator

Attempted Credits/Program Length Credits attempted by a student cannot exceed 150% of the credits required as defined by the University's published length of the specific program. All courses with a passing or failing grade will be counted as credits attempted. All courses with a grade designated as G, I, or W will be counted as credits attempted. Credits on all repeated courses are counted as credits attempted. Transfer credits from another school are counted both in terms of hours attempted and hours completed in SAP evaluation.

Pace of Completion Pace of completion is based on cumulative credits attempted and cumulative credits completed and measured annually, at the end of the evaluation period. Cumulative student course completion rate cannot be less than 67%.

Satisfactory Academic Progress All students who meet the GPA, pace of completion and maximum program length requirements are assigned a Satisfactory Academic Progress indicator for the upcoming school year. The Financial Aid Office assigns a No Progress status to students who do not meet these standards. Students are not eligible for Title IV financial aid and other financial aid sources if their SAP status is "No Progress."

Appeal Process

The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown provides an appeal process for students who are determined to be No Progress. Appeals will be limited to students who experienced personal illness, personal accident, death of an immediate family member, or other extraordinary circumstances that prevented the student from attending classes and successfully completing the coursework. The appeal must be supported by documentation as requested by the Financial Aid Office.

The appeal will be reviewed and forwarded to the Financial Aid Office. If the appeal is reviewed favorably, the student is granted one term of probation for financial aid, and eligibility is reinstated for one payment period. Students must be able to demonstrate that they will be able to meet SAP standards at the end of the next payment period. In cases where it is not possible for a student to meet the minimum requirements for pace of progression and GPA in one term, financial aid eligibility will not be reinstated and the appeal will be denied. Financial Aid Appeal Form.

Re-establishing EligibilityStudents may re-establish financial aid eligibility by successfully completing 67% of their total attempted credits and meeting the cumulative GPA requirement. A re-evaluation of eligibility will only occur upon receipt of the Financial Aid Exception Form.